Dig i  ta  l  ly Spe  a  k  i ng

By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV wa3uvv@gmail.com

DMR Update

W
hile System Fusion continues to rapidly grow
in popularity, DMR (Digital Migration Radio
or Digital Mobile Radio, depending on whose
marketing propaganda you’re reading) has also been grow-
ing rapidly. While this methodology is one borrowed from
the LMR (Land Mobile Radio) world, the costs of setting up
a repeater and some relatively new flexibilities, along with
an increasing number of radios with decreasing prices, have
made DMR more and more attractive to many.
Although it still makes use of C4FM modulation, DMR
differs from the other DV (Digital Voice) methodologies we
use in that it gains advantages by time slicing two signals,
in the same 12.5 kHz bandwidth that most of our DV com-
munications use; with the exception of D-STAR and NXDN
at 6.25 kHz. This time slicing is more commonly known as
TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access).
The DV data is split into 27.5 ms packets, with a 2.5
ms interstitial switching time – yielding a 30 ms window for
each of two “slots” (TS1 and TS2) that make up DMR. A
more sophisticated TDMA system – known as TETRA – has
become popular in Europe for public safety communications
and allows for four slots. By the way, if you think the cost
of new P25 gear is high - it’s “bargain basement pricing” – Vertex-Standard’s EVX line includes several models. The EVX-
compared to a new TETRA system. 539 includes a full keypad and backlit display. (Courtesy of
With the two slots, it’s possible to have two different Vertex-Standard)
conversations – seemingly simultaneously – on the same
same identification rules that exist for analog FM voice
repeater. Effectively, this gives you the communications
transmissions.
capabilities of two repeater systems (repeater, duplexer, feed-
When you successfully “connect” to a DMR repeater,
line, antenna, etc.) for the price of one. That, in a nutshell, is
you will hear a quick set of “happy” tones. If you don’t, then
the real power of TDMA.
a single low frequency “fail” tone is heard. The exception is
In order to achieve this, the repeater generates a clock
when you use DMR in a single-slot, simplex mode—handy
signal that the user radios synchronize to, in order to stay
when no useable repeater in your area or at times when you
within the proper slot. This requires some additional sophis-
are close enough to other stations and don’t need to engage a
tication and quality control in the radios, so that they don’t
repeater.
“slide” into the adjacent slot’s domain.
While DMR is a standard that is supported by many
If you turn on your radio and your selected repeater
manufacturers, there are DMR “supersets” with enhanced
is not active, then a quick transmission acts as a “transmit
features that are supported by individual manufacturers, in
request,” in order to get the repeater to generate a signal and
order to give themselves and their products an extra edge in
get you in sync. Certain things need to be established in the
the marketplace. Perhaps the best known of these is Mo-
radio’s programming, such as a User ID number, Time Slot,
toTRBO, from Motorola.
Talk Group, Color Code, Frequencies and more. Note that,
As they created a stable networking environment that
unlike D-STAR and System Fusion, your call sign is not a
encouraged hams to try out DMR, we owe a debt of thanks
supported data field. As this is a technology borrowed from
to members of the Motorola Amateur Radio Club (www.
the LMR world, your User ID is what makes you unique.
DMR-MARC.net). As you might imagine, this involved
Also, because of this, you must remember to observe the
Motorola repeaters. Network connectivity was accomplished

48  The Spectrum Monitor  November 2016

Left: The TYT MD-390 is the latest in a popular line of single-band portables aimed squarely at the amateur radio market. (Courtesy
of Universal-Radio) Right: The MMDVM mounts on to an Arduino SBC – then connects through a Raspberry Pi SBC to complete a
homebrew DMR repeater with networking capabilities. (Courtesy of gb7dd.co.uk)
through the use of Rayfield Communications’ C-Bridge
(www.Rayfield.net). Also, a set of very specific parame-
ters was established. While this means that not all features
available with DMR (like GPS data) are supported, these are
relatively small concessions, given the stability that such an
adhered to set of rules allows. Also, while the use of com-
mercial equipment increases the price tag of a given repeater
installation, keep in mind that DMR essentially allows you
to have the use of two repeaters simultaneously. Thus, the
amortized costs are less.
As to equipment, early adopters used gear from Mo-
torola, (www.motorolasolutions.com/en_us/products/
two-way-radios/mototrbo.html) such as the XPR4550
mobile and XPR6550 portable. Vertex-Standard (www.Ver-
texStandard.com) VXD7200 and VXD720 are lesser-priced
alternatives from a Motorola relative with new VXD pricing
closer to typical used pricing of the XPR series. Further,
Vertex offers the well-featured EVX series and continues to
expand the line. Another advantage with Vertex is found in
the programming software, which is included with the radio,
from most dealers.
As DMR increased in popularity, other manufacturers
began to take note and started offering their products to
hams. While networked repeaters needed to remain Motoro-
la products, the radios did not. Names like Hytera, Tytera
(yes, really), Connect Systems and many more have become
popular. On top of that, portables like the popular Tytera
MD-380 get re-badged under names like Retevis, Puxing and
my “tongue in cheek favorite” – Lisheng – a syllabic swap of
the word “English.”
DMR radios are available to comply with the method-
ology’s three “tiers,” or levels of sophistication. Tier I is a
single slot mode and is essentially useless for any serious
repeater use. Keep it in mind as this will come up again.
Tier II is two-slot “conventional” operation—as we use on
the ham bands. Tier III represents all that you can do with
Tier II, plus trunking. While the latter is attractive for certain
commercial applications, it is less attractive for amateur use.
Also, all DMR radios currently (as I type this) on the
market are designed for single band use. They are VHF or
UHF, but not both. Further, it is common to see the UHF
band split as 400-470 MHz or 450-520MHz. The former is
useful for hams, the latter not so much. You can also find
gear for the 800 MHz band, but I haven’t heard of anyone
successfully “stretching” the coverage into our 902-928
MHz allocation. (I believe NXDN and P25 are the only DV
methodologies you are going to find available for that band).
There is some hope of dual-band radios on the hori-
zon, however. About a month ago, a Baofeng (yes, the same
company that makes the low-end analog portables) an-
nounced a dual-band radio, the DM-5R, for a street price of
$70. However, a good look at the fine print revealed it was a
Tier I radio only. Some overly energetic hams ordered one as
soon as they saw the announcement, only to later realize the
folly of their ways. After some negative comments on email
reflectors and social media pages, the US dealer Radioddity
announced that a Tier II upgrade would be available—for an
extra charge.
They also announced that doing the upgrade was a bit
tricky and it was rather easy to “brick” your radio if all did
not go well. That’s another hint that the Tier II functionality
was an improvised afterthought. To my knowledge, they
haven’t shipped anything just yet. With some of the mis-
information that was initially floating about this product, I
wondered if it was a “real” announcement, or some elaborate
joke. Apparently it is real, even if not quite yet ready for
November 2016    The Spectrum Monitor   49 
CS-750 UHF HT ($239) from Connect Systems is compatible
with Motorola and Tytera DMR radios. (Courtesy: Connect
Systems)
prime time.
In the weeks that have followed the initial announce-
ment, more companies such as Anytone, Wouxun and Tera
have also made dual-band product announcements for
portables and mobiles. Their press releases have also includ-
ed more realistic pricing. While none of these products are
immediately available, it would seem clear that one or more
dual-band models will soon be available to hams.
As with many other things, getting the cheapest one
should be a lesser goal to getting the best value. For some,
it’s Motorola or nothing. Others are less concerned about
the “Batwing” logo or a hardened case and would rather find
somewhat lower priced alternatives.
I already have a CS750 for UHF and MD-380 for VHF,
but haven’t acquired a mobile DMR rig just yet. With these
recent developments, I’m fairly sure I’ll be picking up a
dual-band mobile, once a good-quality version is available
and supported.
If you have a DMR repeater presence in your area and
would like to get involved with this particular methodology,
you’ll need to register with DMR-MARC for a User ID.
Each ID is unique, but the same one can be used on all of
your DMR equipment, as long as only one is on the air at
one time. You do not need one for each and every piece of
equipment you have, though. User ID’s will be displayed (if
the receiving radio has a display) when you transmit. Unlike
D-STAR and System Fusion, your call sign is not included in
50  The Spectrum Monitor  November 2016
Tytera MD-380 VHF DMR TDMA HT ($129) is also capable of
analog FM operation. (Courtesy: Universal Radio)
any part of the DV data stream.
You will need to identify in accordance with the FCC
rules and regulations—through your voice. I know I men-
tioned this before, but it bears repeating, so that you don’t
get lulled into a false sense of “the radio is taking care of this
for me.” Even if you are using System Fusion or D-STAR,
which includes your callsign in every transmission, it’s still
a good idea to identify verbally. Many are using portables as
mobile stations and can’t safely take their eyes off the road
to look at the small displays.
While you’re waiting to get your ID (usually within 72
hours) you might want to contact one of your area’s “DMR
Gurus” to make suggestions about equipment and setup.
As we’re dealing with something borrowed from the LMR
world, you’ll need to program your transceiver with software
and a cable that may or may not be optional.
Instead of starting from scratch, you will probably
be able to easily acquire what is known as a “codeplug,” a
programming file loaded with all of the repeater frequencies
and specific information needed to configure your radio. Just
make sure your ID is inserted into the file and then follow
your software’s programming instructions.
Editing an existing codeplug is far easier than creating
one from scratch. However, please don’t fall into the rut of
relying on others to update codeplugs for you. A little bit of
understanding as to what’s going on inside your radio and
the network can go a long way. Here again, the real value of
a DMR Guru is not in getting them to
do the work for you, but teaching you
how to set things up and maintain them
on your own. With enough experience,
you’ll be able to soon guide other new-
comers, as well.
While DMR-MARC became the
standard for DMR repeater connec-
tivity, some hams wanted alternatives
with lower costs; using non-Motorola
machines and some other way to net-
work. Out of this, BrandMeister (www.
BrandMeister.US) was conceived and
launched as a stable alternative. Today,
many DMR repeaters are being home-
brewed from suitable transceivers and VA3XPR.net web site is an excellent resource for hams wanting to get involved with
various repeaters. The MMDVM inter- DMR. (Courtesy of VA3XPR)
face works with a set of appropriately
configured Raspberry Pi and Arduino non-radio ways to connect with reflectors, such as DVAP, DV Dongle, DV, Thumb
SBC (single board computer) connec- DV3000 and others, DMR users have traditionally been left out in the proverbial
tions to enable several methodologies cold. That has recently changed, with availability of the DV4mini (www.Wireless-
– including DMR. Hold.com) and its resources, plus newly announced support, through the DMRPlus
One of the most popular arrange- US and UK talkgroups and the VA3XPR-1 repeater. This comes to us from the
ments is to add DMR capabilities onto VA3XPR amateur radio club (www.VA3XPR.net), an excellent resource based in
a Yaesu DR-1X – creating a resource Toronto, Ontario. While their primary mission may be to digital hams in Canada,
that supports three different ways to their outreach, enthusiasm and growing expertise is available to everyone. I’m sure
communicate. Likewise, there is a way there will be additional announcements, of benefit to many.
to add the MMDVM to a BridgeComm As part of their mission to increase the numbers of hams with DMR capabil-
BCR-series repeater. ities, VA3XPR regularly holds small digital workshops (usually at a Tim Hortons
While analog FM support is avail- coffee shop) to introduce DV concepts and answer questions. This is a nice mod-
able in such configurations, that is for el for any club to develop additional membership and spread the word about the
local communications only. All DMR advantages of any DV methodology. It’s another example of the “Evangelists and
networking is digital. That’s actually Cheerleaders” outreach I wrote about a few months ago.
good news, as it provides for a consis- The DMR enthusiasts in Toronto have been doing this for some time and
tent signal quality across the connec- serve as a good example for others. They also have reviews of certain radios on
tions. their web site, plus additional resources including codeplugs, activity monitors,
System Fusion’s WIRES-X net- repeater map and a place to get your DMR radio ID.
working supports analog rooms and, DMR is the most popular of the DV methodologies that amateur radio bor-
while that’s nice, the differences in rows from the LMR world. It continues to grow at a rapid pace and has an enthusi-
clarity and lack of supporting data is astic base of users. If your area hasn’t yet made their initial venture into DV radio,
noticeable. It’s OK to have, but I find I take a good look at DMR and what it may have to offer your club or area hams.
tend to stay with digital assets, avoiding With options like the MMDVM added onto a Yaesu DR-1X System Fusion
the analog. So, at least in my opinion, repeater, you can experience two different methodologies and still support analog
it’s not much of a downside. FM. That’s just one possibility that supports everyone.
I’ve been looking into the monthly
growth curves of the three most popular
methodologies—DMR, D-STAR and
System Fusion. Digging into the num-
bers, many of the D-STAR repeaters
going on the air today are based on non-
Icom hardware. A similar trend is occur-
ring with DMR, as repeater owners find
alternative ways to join the community
of existing assets.
While D-STAR users have had
T S M

November 2016    The Spectrum Monitor   51